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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23150914">In This Body</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/cabbagedad/pseuds/cabbagedad'>cabbagedad</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dissidia: Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII Series, Final Fantasy XIII-2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action/Adventure, Gen, Mystery</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-20 05:08:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,335</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23150914</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/cabbagedad/pseuds/cabbagedad</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Hope wakes up in an unfamiliar land, a strange moogle has a proposition for him.</p><p>Focuses on Hope's arc through Dissidia Opera Omina storyline (with some divergences). Characters and Relationships will be changed/added.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>implied one-sided Hope/Lightning</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>In This Body</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hope’s body was warm and weightless. A gentle hand stroked his brow. Its owner murmured something too low to make out. Hope sighed dreamily; he could bathe in this light forever.</p><p>Something tickled his cheek. With difficulty, he cracked one eye open. He saw a haze of pink and white, which puzzled him, because his mother kept her hair short and never touched hair dye. He opened his mouth, but the hand passed over his eyes and sleep took him again.</p><p>When he came to, his body was decidedly cold and sore. Hope groaned and sat up, rubbing his eyes. They had difficulty adjusting to the gloom around him. He squinted. A high stone ceiling, with weak light filtering in: he was in a cave. </p><p>“Light?” Hope stumbled to his feet. “Snow?”</p><p>No answer but the distant drip of water. Hope hugged his arms, trying not to shiver. He shuffled over to a nearby wall and leaned against it. Something hard dug into his back; at least he still had his boomerang.</p><p>Keeping an eye out for unpleasant surprises, he willed his brain to work. It felt full of cotton, as if he’d woken from a very long sleep. Images and sensations slowly surfaced: grassy plains, strange ferocious creatures, a giant mechanical fortress dropping from the sky...</p><p>Hope gulped. So, he was on Pulse, alone. The thought plunged through his chest like a rock. Yet, despite his Cocoonian education, the absence of his companions scared him far more. With them by his side, enemies, anxiety, terror: everything was manageable. He couldn’t even remember how they were separated.</p><p>Hope shook his head. For all he knew, they were nearby, looking for him. Vanille said they were all family here; he believed it. Still, it would not do to shout; this part of the cave was empty and he preferred it that way. Nor would he sit around tugging at his gloves; he was no longer a child. Unfurling his boomerang, Hope padded towards the nearest tunnel.</p>
<hr/><p>Over the next few hours, Hope’s initial fears slowly burned down to frustration. Every path looked the same, and though he diligently marked each fork, somehow he had circled back to the same half-moon room. Again.</p><p>A shadow swooped at him; Hope shot a fire spell and it hit the ground, twitching. At least the local wildlife presented no trouble. The goblins learned to avoid him; he could hear them chittering as they scuttled away. The only real difficulty lay with Hope himself. His movements were clumsy, as if he were still dreaming, though the welt on his arm where a bat clipped him stung enough to prove otherwise.</p><p>The curved side of the room opened to a bed of stalagmites. Hope wandered over, but the path was too narrow for a child, let alone his companions. He sighed. “Is there no end to this place?”</p><p>He raised his head. A stalactite dripped on his cheek. He flinched. “Why me? Why do bad things always happen to me?”</p><p>Just as he was about to flop down and stay there, feeling very sorry for himself, something glimmered to his right. He peered through the shadows. “Wait. Is that an exit over there?”</p><p>Hope jogged over to the alcove. A faint light crept through a half-buried tunnel. Heart pounding, Hope scrambled over the loose rocks.</p><p>Inside, the tunnel lacked the dingy glow of the rest of the cave system, so Hope conjured a small flame. The walls were slick and the floor sloped downwards. Cold air brushed past; perhaps this tunnel was connected to an underground lake. Hope’s throat ached; maybe walking in circles with no supplies wasn’t the best choice. He tried not to think about his lack of rations as he carefully skirted a slick patch.</p><p>He didn’t have to try very hard. As he rounded a corner, he found the source of light: the roof of the tunnel had caved in, and a breeze whistled down through the gap. Letting the flames fall from his hand, Hope climbed the debris and emerged in a large cavern. Dusting himself off, he paused to observe his surroundings. The ceiling was high and shadowed; he thought he heard rustling. Just as he set off to explore the perimeter, a clear voice cut through the gloom.</p><p>“Hope!”</p><p>He spun around. A familiar figure waved back. “Sazh!”</p><p>The pilot grinned as Hope rushed over to him and his companion. “Where are we? And who are they? And why are they-”</p><p>“Relax, relax,” Sazh said, raising his hands. “They may look a little different, but they’re on our side.”</p><p>Hope tilted his head. Sazh was quite the diplomat. The stranger’s armour was garish even in the murk of the cave; those horns were taller than Snow. And Hope never knew Sazh had a penchant for soft toys.</p><p>“Your name’s Hope, kupo?”</p><p>Hope blinked. “Did that moogle just talk? This is some kind of ultra-realistic toy...right?”</p><p>“I’m not a toy, kupo! I’m Mog, kupo!” It spun away, waving its stubby arms. Hope jumped. “More importantly, I have something to tell you!”</p><p>“Me? Um, okay,” Hope glanced at Sazh; the older man grinned at him by way of encouragement. Beside him, the stranger’s expression was impassive. “What is it?”</p><p>“This world is being threatened by Torsions, kupo. If they’re not stopped, the balance of your home worlds will also be affected, kupo…”</p><p>Hope listened to Mog’s explanation with growing confusion, but Sazh was nodding, and his being summoned to another world <em> did </em> explain Hope’s earlier predicament, plausibility aside.</p><p>“...but we’re on a journey to find warriors who possess the light so we can close them, kupo!”</p><p>Unexpectedly it was the knight who next spoke. “And you, Hope, also possess the will of the light. You are one of us.”</p><p>“The will of the light? M-me?” Hope mumbled. “Are you sure?”</p><p>“I’m positive, kupo!” The moogle spun in the air. “Trust me.”</p><p>“At any rate,” Sazh said, rubbing the back of his neck. “We gotta do something about this world if we ever plan on going back to our own.”</p><p>Hope looked down at his clasped hands. His whirling thoughts were interrupted by a slap on the back.</p><p>“So come with us,” Sazh said cheerfully. “It’s safer that way, you know? Besides, you’d be doing us a favour! We could use your skills.”</p><p>There was no reason not to, especially if Sazh was here. And here, he could be useful – more so than stumbling around alone in the dark. Hope fiddled with his glove cuff and took a deep breath.</p><p>“Alright, I’m in. I’ll do what I can do help.”</p><p>Mog spun in the air again, wiggling his short limbs. “Great, kupo! There’s a Torsion close by; we’ll be counting on you, kupo!”</p><p>The knight simply nodded and said, “I’m honoured to fight by your side. You can call me the Warrior of Light.”</p><p>Hope raised an eyebrow but nodded back. He had a feeling there were stranger things awaiting him in this world.</p>
<hr/><p>With Mog leading the way, Hope and the others soon emerged from the caves into a forest clearing. As his eyes adjusted to the daylight, Hope saw a figure in white approach the Warrior. They disappeared around a corner. Meanwhile, Sazh introduced Hope to the rest of the group.</p><p>“Hey there.” A woman with flowing hair and athletic build leaned forward so her eyes were level with Hope’s. He hoped he was smiling back. “I’m Tifa. It’s nice to meet you.”</p><p>“Name’s Cloud,” said a man with spiked blonde hair. “I’m glad you two found each other,” he nodded at Sazh. Sazh grinned.</p><p>“Um, hello,” said a big ragged hat in the voice of a child. Hope crouched and was surprised to find two large yellow eyes staring at him. “My name’s Vivi.”</p><p>“Hi Vivi,” said Hope.</p><p>A girl in a red school uniform patted Vivi’s hat. “I’m Rem,” she said quietly.</p><p>“Hi Rem,” Hope replied, glancing around. “Where’d Mog go?”</p><p>“I think he’s scouting the path,” said Tifa. She glanced at Cloud, who shrugged lopsidedly. Despite their mismatched clothing, they seemed to know each other well. A thought occurred to Hope.</p><p>“Are you two from the same world too?”</p><p>Tifa nodded. “We go way back. It’s thanks to Mog we’re together again.”</p><p>“But we still have things we need to do back home,” added Cloud. Tifa nodded again, sombre.</p><p>The heavy atmosphere was dispelled with the return of the Warrior and a woman in white with markings on her face. Hope tried not to stare at her catlike ears and tail.</p><p>“My apologies for the late introduction,” she said with a small smile. “I am Y’shtola. I walk the Conjurer’s path.”</p><p>“Hi, Y’shol-Y’shtola.” Hope’s face burned. “Um, is that a kind of magic?”</p><p>“It is,” she said evenly. “I hear you are something of a mage yourself. I would welcome a conversation on the arcane laws of our worlds.”</p><p>Magic untethered from fal’cie and their whims? Hope was intrigued. “I’d like that.”</p><p>“Vivi here’s a decent mage himself,” Sazh added. The big hat angled up and Hope swore he saw a faint blush on those jet black cheeks.</p><p>Before he could reply, Mog flew towards them. “Sorry to interrupt, but we should get going, kupo. The Torsion is north of the fields; the monsters there will be more vicious than usual so be prepared, kupo!.”</p><p>“Alright,” the Warrior said. “Let’s move.”</p><p>Hope gazed at the Warrior’s back. Although Mog was the navigator, the Warrior was obviously the leader. Despite his quiet demeanor, the others deferred to him, and there was something in the way he carried himself that suggested strength and certainty. It reminded Hope of Lightning, especially the way he thought of her in the Vile Peaks – until he realised she, too, was hurting. He wondered how she was doing without him and Sazh.</p><p>The pilot waved at Hope. “C’mon kid, let’s go.”</p><p>Vivi and Sazh stood at the edge of the clearing. The others were already filing through the trees. Hope shook his head and trotted after them.</p><p>The woods were sparse and sunny. Soon, the trees thinned and when they stopped altogether, they found themselves in a green plain dotted with wildflowers. As usual, Mog took the lead. Y’shtola, Cloud and the Warrior completed the vanguard, while Tifa and Vivi chatted a few steps away. The girl in the school uniform trailed behind them. Hope frowned. Rem, that was her name. Though Y’shtola was gracious enough when Hope mispronounced hers, he would rather not repeat the embarrassment.</p><p>Sazh patted Hope on the shoulder. “How’re you holdin’ up?”</p><p>Hope dropped his gaze and fiddled with his wristband. “I don’t know.”</p><p>“Ah, take your time. There’s plenty of heads to knock while you think.”</p><p>Hope smiled. “I don’t know if there are enough to go around.”</p><p>Sazh chuckled. Despite the Warrior’s warning, few monsters survived him, Y’shtola and Cloud long enough to reach the rear and, with the flat terrain, any ambushes presented little threat.</p><p>“Hey Sazh, I, um, don’t remember you going missing or anything back home.” He didn’t mention there was a lot he couldn’t remember. “How long have you been here?”</p><p>“Not much longer than you, I bet.” Sazh stroked his chin. “Mog and the others found me a few days ago. Thought it best to stick with folks who know what’s going on.”</p><p>“Oh.” </p><p>Hope didn’t need to ask what Sazh thought of Mog’s story. On one hand, their companions were clearly not from Cocoon, or even Pulse. Yet this quest of theirs seemed almost deceptively simple.</p><p>Sazh nudged his side. “Things are crazy, sure. But you and me? We seen crazier. Just take it one day at a time.”</p><p>Hope wasn’t sure they had, but he nodded anyway. “You’re right.”</p>
<hr/><p>Eventually the ground began sloping downwards, until they arrived at the edge of a forest much denser and darker than the one they had just left. The sun was already low in the sky. A comfortable breeze swept through the pines, scattering needles to the dirt. Mog floated ahead, following a narrow trail that forced the group into single-file. Hope peered past Sazh’s afro at the trees above them. Vines descended like black snakes, and blocked the little light that made it past the canopy. He opened his mouth to ask Sazh whether the baby chocobo also made the cross between dimensions, but the woods seemed to mute his voice and Hope closed his mouth. Even the air grew heavier the deeper they walked; no wind made it this far.</p><p>Plenty of monsters did, however. Goblins accosted their group with increasing frequency, swinging and leaping in a frenzy. The muggy air seemed to swallow Hope’s fire spells, so he switched to ice instead. Together, they cut them down, though not before Hope noticed Vivi’s staff trembling. The Warrior was quiet, but then he was not a man to waste words.</p><p>Rem hesitated. “I have a bad feeling about this. The monsters in this area are acting very strangely.”</p><p>“That means there’s a Torsion nearby, kupo!” Mog floated over from the head of the queue. Their surroundings did little to dampen his cheer.</p><p>“Yes,” the Warrior said. “I can feel it...and something else. Everyone, be on your guard. There is something far more malevolent than mere monsters lurking about.”</p><p>Rem nodded reluctantly and kept walking.</p><p>“M-more malevolent than monsters!?” squeaked Vivi. “I don’t like the sound of that…”</p><p>Hope patted his hat. “I’m sure we can handle it.”</p><p>“Yeah, soldier boy’s no joke,” Sazh added. “And remind me to stay on Y’shtola’s good side…” </p><p>Hope silently agreed. Apparently, a wide range of spells fell under Conjury, including summoning boulders bigger than the Warrior and opening gaping chasms in the earth.</p><p>They continued along the trail, which was wider now, but no less winding. Gnarled roots forced Hope to keep an eye on his boots. The swordsmen were more alert than by comparison, while Vivi padded along beside him, his hat swivelling this way and that. Mog’s bobble bounced this way and that through the trees. Like a marsh ghost, Hope thought, only benevolent. Probably.</p><p>“We’re close, kupo! Watch out for the-”</p><p>His warning was drowned out by a roar that shook the trees down to the roots. They rushed into a clearing, where a hulking shape reared in front of what must have been the Torsion. It hung in the air like a shadowy vortex, like someone had pulled the plug on space itself. Hope’s attention was broken by another roar; the behemoth rounded on them.</p><p>Mog darted above their heads. “Defeating the monster should close the Torsion, kupo!”</p><p>The behemoth snarled and followed the moogle’s flight with its beady eyes. Before it could lunge, a huge rock smashed into its snout. It bellowed and leapt for Y’shtola. Claws clanged against metal; Cloud and the Warrior blocked its path.</p><p>Two blurs – one black and white, one red – dashed to the beast’s side. Rem’s daggers bit into its shoulder while Tifa somersaulted and brought her heel down hard on its exposed flank. It twisted and readied a massive paw; Hope shot a fire spell at its belly. Vivi loosed his own spell with a high cry, and together they rained flames down on the monster. It hissed and closed the distance in one great bound, but the Warrior’s shield was ready. Sparks flew; a blue shimmer surrounded the shield. As the behemoth reeled back, Cloud slashed at its hind leg, tearing a great ugly wound. Sazh’s pistols, too, found their mark. Dark blood splattered the ground, and the beast’s eyes rolled in their sockets.</p><p>Hope threw a few support spells onto his comrades. Y’shtola joined him, and with that extra edge, the fight was over quickly. The Warrior dealt the final blow, stabbing the monster in the heart. The behemoth gave one last bellow and collapsed onto the forest floor.</p><p>Behind the massive carcass, the Torsion crackled and shrunk until it was a dark pinpoint in the air; then it was no more.</p><p>Cloud wiped the blood off his sword. “Is that it?”</p><p>None of them were breathing hard; even Cloud’s distinctive hair was unruffled. Not for the first time, Hope was glad he and Sazh were found by such reliable companions.</p><p>“More importantly, did getting rid of it solve our monster problem?” Sazh asked.</p><p>Tifa peered through the trees. “I think so. Their numbers seem to have diminished at the very least.”</p><p>“You must remember, however,” said Y’shtola. “This is not the only Torsion that plagues this world.”</p><p>Hope clasped his hands before him and lowered his head. Getting home would not be easy.</p><p>“Indeed, kupo! Our job is far from over,” said Mog with a flourish. “But if we continue working together I’m sure we’ll accomplish our goal in no time!”</p><p>Sazh and Hope exchanged looks; the pilot had a complicated expression on his face. Hope gave a tiny shrug.</p><p>“Then let’s keep going,” said Tifa. Beside her, Cloud nodded.</p><p>“Yes, kupo! Our next destination: the lands beyond the northern sea! And before you ask how we’re going to get there, we’ll be going by airship, kupo!”</p><p>“Airship?” Sazh brightened. “Excellent. That’s just my style.”</p><p>Cloud tilted his head. “Are you a pilot or something?”</p><p>“Only the best!” Hope grinned. Sazh rubbed the back of his head. “How could you tell?”</p><p>“I have a friend a lot like him.”</p><p>“Let’s go! I can’t wait to see how this baby flies!” Sazh bounded away, with Mog trailing after him. Shaking his head, Hope jogged after them.</p><p>As it turned out, the airship was parked nearby, on a flat stretch of field near the forest. Briefly, Hope wondered how they hadn’t spotted it earlier. But Sazh’s energy was infectious, and the rest of the group found themselves admiring its sleek chrome fuselage, currently lit orange by the setting sun. Mog floated over and fiddled with a keypad; a polished ramp descended into the grass.</p><p>Sazh whooped and hurried aboard, making a beeline for the engine room. The others took to wandering their new home, ducking in and out of cabins and corridors. The inside was labyrinthine, and, Hope thought, far larger than an airship this size ought to be. Then again, perhaps Mog simply put his knowledge of space-time distortions to more practical use.</p><p>Eventually, Hope took Sazh’s original route down into the airship’s belly. The pilot was nowhere to be seen; Hope guessed he was inspecting the cockpit, or maybe claiming a cabin for himself. They were two-person bunks, but there were more rooms than there were people, so Hope was looking forward to some privacy.</p><p>Upon reaching the engine room, Hope was mesmerised. Pistons and gears moved in perfect concert, while steam hissed periodically from thick pipes. There was a ventilation system of some sort; grills installed in the back of the room reflected the overhead strip lighting and various tiny blue and yellow bulbs on a panel to the right. </p><p>Hope crouched in front of the panel, examining the rows of lights. Though there were similarities, this technology was different from anything he had seen back home. Apparently AMP tech was either undiscovered or unusable here. Considering the ship’s similarities to records of legacy tech, if he could obtain the blueprints and apply the results of his research…</p><p>A hand gripped his shoulder. Hope jumped.</p><p>“Sorry,” said Rem. “I didn’t mean to frighten you. Tifa’s whipping up something to eat, would you like to join us?”</p><p>Hope found his voice again. “Sounds great. Wait, where’d the food come from?”</p><p>“No one knows,” shrugged Rem. “But Mog and Sazh said it’s fine, and we’re all a bit hungry, so…”</p><p>“Alright.” Hope stood up. He was starting to feel peckish. Rem smiled and led them to a modest elevator; somehow Hope walked right past it. He had a feeling it would take a while to get used to this place.</p><p>They found Cloud, Vivi and Y’shtola on the bridge with Mog. The soldier was staring the moogle down, his arms folded.</p><p>“..then how long to next Torsion?” His voice was steady, but there was a bite to it none of them missed.</p><p>“Not long, kupo!” Mog’s bobble wobbled under Cloud’s scowl. “We can rest up before we go, kupo.”</p><p>Vivi looked down. “Then, um, shouldn’t we go now?”</p><p>Y’shtola spoke up. “A short rest will be of benefit to us all, especially if we are to close a great number of Torsions as Mog suggests.”</p><p>Cloud’s eyes narrowed. “I’m a merc. Doesn’t look good to disappear in the middle of a job.”</p><p>“Then we must do our best to complete the task we are given,” Y’shtola said.</p><p>Mog zipped around her head. “It won’t be long; I believe in you all, kupo!”</p><p>With that, he flew past Rem towards the kitchens. Hope shared a worried glance with her. Cloud sighed and leaned against the railing. Y’shtola gazed after Mog.</p><p>“Do not misunderstand,” said Y’shtola softly. “I, too, share your haste. Rushing, however, will get us nowhere with him.”</p><p>“We just don’t know enough yet,” added Hope. He fiddled with his wristband. “But...I don’t think Mog has bad intentions.”</p><p>“Yeah,” said Vivi. “If he wants to save this world, I want to help!”</p><p>“Of course,” Y’shtola said with a smile. “I am not one to abandon a realm in need, either.”</p><p>“Point taken,” said Cloud with a shrug, though his frown remained. The strained atmosphere was broken by Tifa calling them from the kitchen. Rem perked up.</p><p>“Come on,” Hope said to Vivi. The little mage looked up with wide eyes and jogged after Tifa’s voice, followed by everyone else. Cloud trailed behind them.</p><p>The kitchen was attached to a small mess hall. Hope wondered just how many allies Mog expected to gather. Tifa waved them over to a table laden with delicious smells. Sazh and Hope grinned at each other and helped set the table. Mog was nowhere to be seen. Without the moogle around, the others relaxed.</p><p>“It’s good,” said Cloud. He piled yakisoba onto his plate.</p><p>“It’s delicious!” Vivi exclaimed with bulging cheeks.</p><p>“You’re too kind,” said Tifa, blushing. “I’m only really good at bar food.”</p><p>“C’mon now, I saw you with that knife,” Sazh said. “Bet you could give Rem a run for her money.”</p><p>The girl smiled. “I’ll help out if you teach me your noodle recipe.”</p><p>Tifa looked delighted. As they chattered, Hope plopped a piece of roast chicken in his mouth and chewed. “Sazh, did you make this?”</p><p>“You can tell?”</p><p>“It’s a bit spicy, but good.”</p><p>Sazh laughed. “That’s what Dajh used to say. You kids’ll grow into it.”</p><p>Hope paused, but Sazh’s laughter seemed genuine, so he grinned back.</p><p>“Someone you know?” A man with long silver hair and aquamarine eyes asked in a gentle voice. Hope hid his surprise; so their leader knew how to relax.</p><p>“Yeah, my son.” Sazh’s expression was tinged with sadness. “He’s been through a lot. I gotta bring him home.”</p><p>“He’s fortunate to have such a caring father.”</p><p>Sazh took the compliment with a graceful nod, but there was a haunted look in his eyes. Upon feeling Hope’s gaze, the old pilot grinned and ruffled his head. Hope wondered if he didn’t trust himself to speak right now.</p><p>“Ah!”</p><p>A saucer clattered to the floor. Something wet splattered onto Hope’s forearm.</p><p>“Sorry! I’m so sorry…” Vivi dashed away to grab a cloth.</p><p>“It’s okay, it’ll wash out,” Hope called after him. It was only ketchup after all. Still, he didn’t want the wristband to get stained. He untied it – and knocked his own plate over with a crash.</p><p>“Hope?”</p><p>Hope didn’t hear him. Sazh’s question died as he followed the boy’s gaze to his wrist. The skin was pale and smooth. </p><p>His brand was gone.</p><p>Blood roared in Hope’s ears. His body felt distant; his arm looked as if it belonged to someone else. Another boy, one who missed the Purge train and lived a normal life. He barely noticed when Sazh excused himself and led the frozen boy out of the room.</p><p>The small part of Hope’s brain that was still functioning was churning with questions. What did his missing brand mean? Were the gods not all-powerful enough to reach across dimensions? What did it mean for their Focus? For their friends back on Pulse?</p><p>“...id? Hope!”</p><p>Someone was shaking his shoulder roughly. Hope looked up into Sazh’s worried face.</p><p>“You back with us?”</p><p>Hope swallowed. “Y-yeah.”</p><p>He felt a cool breeze on his skin. Sazh had led him out onto the deck. Foreign constellations shone above their heads. The older man sunk cross-legged beside him.</p><p>“So...they’re gone.”</p><p>Hope sat down too, hugging his knees. “Yours too?”</p><p>“Yeah. Don’t blame you for freaking out. I don’t even know what to think right now.”</p><p>Hope knew the feeling. To go back to living without the threat of cie’th-hood hanging over his head...was it even possible?</p><p>“I...I wish the others were here.” Lightning would know what to do.</p><p>“Me too, kid.” Sazh sighed. “At least the countdown’s paused for whatever Mog wants.”</p><p>That was the one silver lining in this situation. But what about afterwards, when they returned to Pulse?</p><p>“I don’t get it,” growled Hope, clenching his fists. “Why were we called here? What’s happening back home? I hate not knowing anything.”</p><p>Would they truly be free to return to their own worlds? And with the fate waiting for him there...would he even leave in the first place? Then again, if he ran, he could never face Lightning. Not while she was fighting tooth and nail against her own fate.</p><p>Sazh pulled a hand over his face. “For now, all we can do is sleep on it. And remember what I said?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Hope said with a sigh. “One step at a time.”</p><p>“Atta boy,” Sazh got to his feet. “C’mon, let’s get that wristband rinsed out.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This was fun to write, though I haven't played XIV, Type-0 or IX so apologies for any character inconsistencies - I only know those characters from dissidia and whatever's on tvtropes. I wanted to explore how characters would react more realistically to Mog's quest, which takes a few chapters in DFFOO, but anyway let me know what you think.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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